{Fifteen Minute Meal} Pasta Dish with Tomatoes, Mozzarella, and Basil

Who loves easy weeknight meals? Actually, who doesn’t like easy weeknight meals, right?! Over the weekend I put together this delicious pasta dish that is ready in fifteen minutes. And when I say fifteen minutes, I mean fifteen minutes start to finish. Fifteen minutes from when you start to prep to when you’re sitting down to dinner. Read on to find out how this super delicious pasta dish with tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella is a true fifteen minute meal, ready to save your next weeknight what-am-I-going-to-make-for-dinner crisis.

The key to making this pasta dish a true fifteen minute meal is the pasta. Have you tried Barilla’s new line of Pronto pastas? This was my first time using it and, you guys, it is brilliant. I picked up a box of the Pronto linguine at Stop & Shop and the first bit of brilliance that struck me was the size of the noodles. They’re pre-cut to fit in the pot. If you have ever wrestled with unwieldy spaghetti or linguine strands that do not fit into the pot of boiling water, you know how great this feature is. Instead of having to break the handful of linguine in half (which always manages to make a tremendous mess) or awkwardly try to stuff it into the water while some of it softens and some of it pokes out the top, you just…pour it in. Done.

But there is another feature of this Pronto pasta that makes the fifteen minute meal an easily attainable thing. The Pronto pastas require no boiling water. In fact you pour the pasta into the pot, add cold water, and then cook on high for about ten minutes. And then it’s done with no draining. So not only is it ready in a flash without waiting for the water to boil, there’s no straining. I don’t understand how it works, but after trying it out with this pasta dish I can attest – it works.

The combination of flavors is such a crowd pleaser too. My kids love this, my husband loves this, I love this – everyone is happy :) Tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella is such a classic flavor combination and I think the pine nuts and hint of balsamic really notch it up to pure deliciousness.

Linguine with fresh tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella, ready to eat in fifteen minutes!

Recipe type: Main course - pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Serves: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

12 oz. box Barilla Pronto linguine

2½ c. cold water

1 lb. fresh tomatoes, large-diced (brown tomatoes are my favorite)

1 medium red or yellow onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. kosher salt

¼ c. olive oil

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

½ c. fresh basil, chopped

8 oz. fresh mozzarella, large-diced

¼ c. pine nuts, toasted

Instructions

Place pasta, cold water, tomatoes, onion, garlic, salt, olive oil, and vinegar into a large pot. Set over high heat and set a timer for ten minutes. Cook time may vary a bit based on the type of stove being used.

While the pasta is cooking, chop the basil and mozzarella.

Stir the pasta occasionally at first, then more frequently to prevent burning as the sauce starts to bubble and thicken.

When the sauce has thickened enough to coat the pasta and the timer has gone off, remove from the heat and add the basil, pine nuts and mozzarella. Stir to combine and serve hot.

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Make sure you grab some New Barilla Pronto Pasta next time you shop at Stop & Shop, Giant Food Stores, or Martin’s Food Markets. Barilla Pronto Pasta is also available through Peapod. I grabbed a few boxes of different shapes and will be keeping these on hand for quick weeknight dinners!